Signal-transmitter.



J. MGPELL.'V SIGNAL TRANSMITTER. APPLICATION FILED AUG.19, 1909.

988,009. Patented Mar. 28,1911.

M6656@ "i E W?" J.. MUFELL. SIGNAL TRANSMITTER. APPLIOATIoN FILED AUG.19, 1909.

Patented Mar. 28, 1911,

lllllqlll A L.iUiisoN MCFELL, 'or oHioAGo, /ILLINoIs iSIGNAL-TRANSMITTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mai. 28, 1911.`

Application leg August 19,1909. Serial No. 513,605.

To all whom "it may concern.

Be it known-that I, Jonson MCFELL, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the count-yofCool; and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements iii Signal-Transmitters,

of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to improvements in signal transmitters, and has forits general object to `provide a mechanism for the electricaltransmission of signals, adapted to be set to transmit differentselective signals at will.

My invention consists in the construction and combinations ofpartsVspecified in the claims, and may best be understood through referenceto `the accompanying drawings, illustrating an embodiment' of myinvention which I have found to be advantageous in practice.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation ot a transmitter embodyingthe invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view with parts broken away of theini-)chanical appliances removed from their casing; Fig. 3 is a detailof a switch;

. Fig. 4E isa section on line 1 -4c of Fig. 2, Fig 5 is a section online 5- 5 of Fig. 2,; 'Fig 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

saV

Fig. '7 is a section on line 7-7 of Fig. 4; Fig. Sis a detached View ofone of the carriers; and Fig. 9 is a detail of the positioning lever andassociated parts. l

, In the drawings, 10 indicates, in general, the casing, having "securedthereto a front plate, 11wliich forms a partv of the carrying frame forthe mechanism. Said frame is generallymade up of the front plate, 11, acenter plate, 12, and a 'rear plate, 13, properly connected in theirseparated relation by a sei'ies'of suitable posts', 14 and 14. The spacebetween the forward plates 11 and 12 l will terni the switching spacc,7and that between plates 12 and 13, the motor space. The motor'proper maybe of any desired type, preferably spring-operated and arranged to bewound foi' cach operation. 'In the .construction shown, I provide a geartrain, generally indicated at '15, having a windiii arbor, 1G, driven bya main spring, 17, un governed as to' its' rate ot' motion "by agovernor, 18, of suitable"construction,

he train may be wound .by depression of a handle, 20, c arried by a.rack rod, 21, engaging the primary gear of the train and guided invertical motion by engagement of a slot, 22, in the side of said bar,with a guiding member, 23, mounted on theframe.

The motor serves to operate at a predetermined speeda power shaft, .25,which is arranged to operate the principal switching mechanism. Saidpower shaft extends from the rear plate 13 through the front plate 11,and a companion shaft, 25,l is arranged adjacent the opposite end of theframe, the two shafts being connected for movement in unison but inopposite directions by a pair of interme'shingspur gears, 2G and 26',mounted thereon within the switching space.

vIn general, the parts connected with these two shafts are similar, andtherefore, I will describe only one thereof, characteristically likeparts being indicated by the saine number but those connected with theshaft 25v bea-rinof the exponent prime In ront of the gear wheel 26, inthe switching` space, is a carrier, 27, fast upon theshaft andpreferably in the form of a disk or wheel havingthci'ein a hitchopening, 28, and a series of small holes, 29, which constitute part Yofthe setting mechanism. Loose upon the shaft 25, beyond and normally freefor both rotative and axial movenient thereon, is"an operating barrel,30, passing through the front plate 11 and bearing on its extremity anoperating head, 31.

The barrel -30 bears a collar 33, at its inner end, `carrying aprojection, 34 on which is mounted a switch actuator in the form of aninsulated pcripherally toothed sector, 35, the teeth ofwhich arearranged to cooperate. with a suitable switch, 3G, when the sector isrotated while iii axially innermost position in the operating plane .inwhich the switch is located. Aspring, shown at 3( in Fig. 7, arranged ina coil about the shaft within the barrel, constantly tends to throw thebarrel to outermost position, thereby to move vthe actuator Ainto closeproximity to the front plate 11, in which position-the segment isremoved from the switch or ina plane'of disability. Whenever theactuator is axially moved to its operative plane, it is there latched bya latching lever, 39, pivoted, as at 40, to the rear side of the carrier27, with one extremity forming a` tooth, 41, passing through theaperture 2S in the carricr'to latch thecollar 33 when ther actuator ispressed inward to its operative plane, and

electric switch 36 during the rotation of the f signal wheel system.Limitation stops, 47

la and 48, are provided upon the carrier for confining the free oradjusting rotary movenient of the sector with respect to the carrier tothat necessary to its engagement with any one of the series of apertures29. If additional fixed teeth are required on any signaling wheel, theymay be provided on the carrier in the operating plane, asindicated at49.

For convenience in setting the movable sectors, I provide upon thebarrel a pointer, 50, arranged to sweep over a dial,

51, the two pointers 50 and 50 being ai'- ranged to pass each other inrotation'. .lt- 'will be apparent lfroni an inspection of the drawings,that the two sectors are so mounted relative to each other and to theSwitches 36 and 36 that the sector 35 appartenant to what I may ternithe tens wheel system, completes its movement through its operatingangle or arc of cooperation with the switch 36 before the sector 35,appartenant to the units. wheel commences its operai" tion. Accordingly,the collocation of index and sector is such that, as the pointer isadjusted to any figure en the scale 51', a number of teeth correspondingwith the index ligure are set back of the long pen vof the switch 36',so that when the wheel rotates, such number of teeth will immediatelybegin to pass the switch. The tripping device,- 43, for the tens wheel,may be set anywhere throughout the balance of the circle, as it is onlyimportant to release the actuator for movement to disabled positionbefore the rotation nears its end "As to the units devices, however, acloser and more accurate tripping adjustment must be made, asthetrippin' device, 43, must be'so set -that it will trip the latch 39 andfree theoperating sector for` movement to disabled positionwith respectto its switch 36,. just as the number of teeth indicated by the hand onthe dial have passed the switch 36, so disabling the following teethfrom operating `on the switch. Accordingly, when the pointer 50` ismoved to indicate any desired number on the scale, and thevhandle 31 isthen pushed `in to bring the sector to operating position, the carrierin its rotation will cause the indicated number of teeth to pass Vtheswitch before the tripping end, 42', of

the latch lever 39 is brought* into contact with the stop 43; and then,before another tooth passes the switch, the sector is unlatched andthrown by its spring to disabled or outermost position for the balanceof its rotation. Any fixed tooth or teeth, as 49, provided upon eitherwheel or carrier, will operate invariably and at each revolution of thewheel.

For insuring that the wheel will normally stand in a predeterminedposition, I provide a. positioning lever, 53, pivoted, as at 54, to theframe and pressed by a spring, 55, into engagement withy a fixedvabutment, 56, in which position said lever stands with a shoulder, 57,in the 'nath of movement of apin, 5S, projecting rom the under side ofthe gear 26. The winding stein is provided with a projection 60, so thatat the termination ofthe winding movement it moves the positioning lever53 to unlatched position, thereby freeing the signaling wheels for acomplete rotation before thepin 58 again engages the spring-returnedpositioningle-- ver.

VUpon an insulating block, 61, on the back ot' plate 13 is mounted aspring-opening switch 62, which may suitably be connected in parallel toswitches 36 and 36 to shunt i them when closed, said switch beingnormally held closed by a finger 63, mounted upon shaft 16 in suchmanner that when the said shaft is rota-ted to wind the motor, thefinger is remo-ved from the switch and the latter is permitted to springopen.

Assuming that the two signaling switcher 36 and 36 are connected inseries in the line `with thev switch 62 connected normally to shortcircuit the line switches'36 and 36, the operation of the 4transmitterwill be apparent. The operator, desiring, say, to call station 46,turnsthe handle 31 of the tens wheel unt-i1 the pointer 50` points tonumeral 4 on dial 51', and then pushes in upon the handle 31. The rotarymovement of the handle brings the operating sector 35 around out ofContact with switch 36', to a. point where only the last four of itsteeth are in rea-r of the long pen of switch 36v and then the axialydisplacementof the handle 31 forces the sector axially inward so thatits pin 46 engages one ofthe apertures l29 in the carrier, locking-theparts against further rotative displacement, while the hitch 41 engagesthe collar 33"of the handle barrel and holds the sector in, fasillustrated in Fig, 7, so that said sector stands in the plane of the`switch 36. In similar fashion, the units pointer 50 is set upon thenumeral 6 on its dial, positioning six teeth of the sector'to pass `theswitch 36 before the sector is disabled. winding handle 2O is depressedcausing its rack 21 to wind the clock movement, the

Then the rotation ot its wheels under the influence ot the woundclockwork. -The unwinding of the clockwork is controlled by thegovernor, 18, and the relatively slow rotation imparted to the unitssignaling devices through the shaft 25 is transferred through theduplicate gears, 26, 26.', to the tens signaling devices. As soon as thetwo wheels start in motion, the tens wheel commences operation, and thefour rear teeth, with reference to the direction. of rotation of thesector 35, operate the switch 36. Shortly after the operating angle orarc of the tens 4wheel has passed the switch 36, the extremity, 42', ofthe latch lever39 strikes the fixed trip 43 and is thrown over torelease thesector and its barrel toi' spring return to its initialldisabled position. Also justatter thel tens wheel .completes its arc ofoperation, the

sector ot the units wheel comes into oper-,I

ative relation with its switch and remains in operative relation untilits latchiug lever 39 strikes-the releasing point 33 and frees thesector for movement to disabled position. The setting` of the pointerpositions the sectors so that the number of teeth indicated by therelation of the handle to thereading scale may pass the switch 36 beforethe rcleasing operation occurs; and thereattenthe sector having moved todisabled position, the remaining teeth (it the. sector do not ef- `tectoperations of the switch.

rl`he operating arcs 'of the tens and units wheels may, of course, be ofany desired proportion with respect to the full circle ot the wheels,and l haveslmwn the sectorsns oecnpying only a small portion of thecircumterence of the wheel, in order that, after the completion oll theoperation ot the units see tor, the mechanism may i'un idly toi' aconsiderable portion ot' its cycle before the fixed tooth /l-Q opens theswitch. When the cycle ot rotation is-completed, the piii '58 vrengagresthe positioning bar o?) and thc mechaiiism comes to rest in the sameposition from which "it started..

lt, will be understood that` while l have herein described insonieahitail `a particular embodiment of my invention, that the spociiicconstruction shown is illustrated Vtor purposes ot it'ull disclosure andthat runnerous changes might be made in the embodiment of the inventionwithout departure from its spirit and scope and within the scope oic theappended-claims.

That I claim is: y l. In a signal ti'aiisn'iitter, the combination ot amotor providing' a rotatable shaft;

a switch; a toothed switch-operating part movable into or out of theplane ot the switch, and when out ot the plane ot' the switch, rotarilyadjustable with respect thereto; means for latching the switch-operatingpart in lixed relation to the shaft; and means for tripping saidbitching,- means.

2. ln a signal transmitter, the combination of a motor iiiioviding' arotatable shatt, switch; a toothed actuator for said switch rotai'ilyadjust-able u-,pon said shaft in a plane of disability, and axiallymovable, in different positions' of rotary adjustment, into an operatingplane; latchinej means tor automatically securing said operating part insaidf plane :tor rotation with the switch; trippinr means 'torsaidlatehing means; and means for restoring the actuator to the plane ofdisability when released by the tripping means.

3. l'n a signal transmitter, a motor providing a rotatable shat't, acarrier oli-.the shaft, a toothed actuator loose upon said shaft. aspring` normally maintaining;v the actuator remote -troni the carrier inan inoperative plane, a latch toi' engagingV and retaining said actuatorin its ope ative plane, automatic releasing means for said latch, and aswitch arranged for coperation with said actuator only when the latteris in its operative plane.

4. in a signal transmitter, a motor having a rotatable shaft, a switch,a toothed actuator' upon the shaft rotatable to selective position tovary a signal and axially movable tooperative or inoperative relation tothe switch, means for latching the actuator upon the shaft when in itsoperative plane, and means tor automaticallyrestorini;l the actuator toits inoperativel plane.

ln a signal transmitter, the combinav tion of a motor providing arotatable part, a carrier thereon, a =hitchv carriedby said carrier,latchreleasing means, a toothed actuator 'for the switch upon saidrotatable part, la springnormally maintaining' said e l. actuator in annumerative plane with rctive carriers, normally rotatablewith respectthereto laud in an inoperative plane, and axially movable toward thecarriers to an opcmlivc plane; moins lo" 'tiugi' the a -lualors againstrotativo moi'eincnls with rc-` specl lo their carriers when in theoperative :lane: latchi'ug ineansraifried hy the cailriers to retain theactuators in the operative plane; tripping means for releasing saidlatehing means; means for automatically moving the actuators totheirnormal inoperative plane, When freed by the latches; and electricalswitching means associated with said actuators7 for operation therebyonly. when said actuators are in their operative plane,

7. In a signal transmitter, the combination with a spring motorproviding a train, a Winding handle therefor and a shaft-7 of a carrierupon the shaft, a barrel loose on said shaft; a toothed actuator carriedby said barrel; a spring normally maintaining the actuator in aninoperative plane, Wherein it is rotatable to different positions ofadjustment with respect to the carrier, said n barrel being movableaxially to bring the actuator into an operative plane; latching meansfor holding said actuator in the operat'ive plane; means forautomatically releasrsaid stop, controlled by the Winding handle.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand 1n the presence ot'twoWitnesses..

JU'DsoN MCFELL.

In the presence of W. LINN ALLEN, MARY F. ALLEN.

